Kant

Enlightenment

Man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.

Immanual Kant

Philosopher who believed in basing ethics on reason rather than faith.

Reason

Universal ability that can lead to harmonized ethical agreements.

Self-imposed immaturity

A state where individuals rely on external authorities for guidance.

Kantian autonomy

The ability of individuals to impose moral laws on themselves through reason.

Deontological ethics

Ethics based on duty and the rightness of actions regardless of consequences.

Good Will

The only thing that is unconditionally good; acting with the right intention.

Hypothetical imperatives

Commands conditioned by a desire or outcome, e.g., 'If you want X, then do Y'.

Categorical imperatives

Commands that are unconditional, stating 'You should do X'.

Universalizability

Test to determine if an action can be willed as a universal law.

Duty

An obligation to act according to moral principles.

Moral law

Universal principles discovered through reason.

Contradiction in conception

When a maxim cannot logically be willed as a universal law.

Contradiction in will

When a maxim conflicts with our rational will to achieve ends.

Kingdom of ends

A conceptual moral community where everyone is treated as an end.

Summum bonum

The highest good; a state where virtue is rewarded.

Perfect duties

Duties that have one way of fulfillment, e.g., telling the truth.

Imperfect duties

Duties that allow for multiple means of fulfillment, e.g., helping others.

Consequentialism

Ethical theory where the outcomes of actions are the basis of moral evaluation.

Ethical clarity

The precise nature of Kant's ethical rules, derived from reason.

Emotions in ethics

Kant believed emotions are unreliable for moral motivation.

Philosophical intuition of fairness

The human inclination to treat others how one wishes to be treated.

Charles de Secondat

Criticized Kant's ethics in the context of moral dilemmas like lying.

Rational agents

Beings capable of rational thought and moral decision-making.

Barbara Herman

Interpreted Kant’s view of emotions in moral actions.

Alasdair McIntyre

Critiqued the application of Kant's maxims on trivial matters.

Cultural reflection in ethics

Universal moral precepts found across diverse human cultures.

Philippa Foot

Criticized Kant for claiming that categorical imperatives are universally binding.

Social conditioning

Foot argued that moral imperatives may stem from social influences rather than pure reason.

Virtue ethics

Ethical theory focusing on the character and virtues of the moral agent.

Moral equality

Kant's principle of treating all rational beings as equal.

Ethical clarity vs. ethical conflict

Kant’s ethics aim for clarity, yet confronts challenges in moral dilemmas.

Autonomous rationality

The capacity to make moral decisions independent of external authorities.

Empiricist ethical anti-realism

Hume's belief that right and wrong do not objectively exist.

Ethics of respect

The obligation to treat others as ends rather than mere means.

Human rights

Principles rooted in Kant’s ethics, emphasizing universal dignity.

Kingdom of ends

A community in which all beings act according to moral laws.

Moral duty

An obligation derived from rational moral laws.

Moral actions

Actions directed by motives that align with moral law.

Duties of beneficence

Moral obligations to promote the well-being of others.

Social influences

Factors that shape individual moral decisions in complex ways.